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Old Thu Aug 18, 2011, 03:38 PM
Greg H Greg H is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 660
How Does AA Progress to MDS?

Hey Folks!

Janice M asked an interesting question over in another thread that I thought might warrant its own conversation.

She asked:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Janice M. View Post

One quick question, how does AA progress into MDS?
And I said:

Quote:
Since being diagnosed with MDS, I have focused on MDS and not paid nearly as much attention to AA, despite the fact that some of my best buds on marrowforums are AA folks.

Consequently, I don't know the answer to that question, though I would love to understand it better.

My impression is that, in the space that you occupy, with your hypocellular marrow, it can be a bit tricky to differentiate AA from MDS. So "progression" from one to the other may be, I'll bet, not so much a change in condition as a change in diagnosis.

I do think it's an important question, particularly for you. Because the therapies that seem like a good idea for MDS are not always a good idea for AA -- Campath as a frontline therapy being one example: nice results in younger folks with MDS; not so good results as a frontline therapy for AA (with a few exceptions).
So, what do y'all think? How does AA progress to MDS? Or is it a matter of updated (or uncertain) diagnosis?

Thanks!

Greg
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Greg, 59, dx MDS RCMD Int-1 03/10, 8+ & Dup1(q21q31). NIH Campath 11/2010. Non-responder. Tiny telomeres. TERT mutation. Danazol at NIH 12/11. TX independent 7/12. Pancreatitis 4/15. 15% blasts 4/16. DX RAEB-2. Beginning Vidaza to prep for MUD STC. Check out my blog at www.greghankins.com
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